In February 1941 they launched a series of "long pamphlets" or "short books" called Searchlight Books, edited by George Orwell and T. R. Fyvel.[4] The series was originally planned to include 17 books, but was discontinued after the publication of ten when bombing destroyed paper stocks.

The Harvill Press was founded in 1946 by Manya Harari and Marjorie Villiers. The imprint was later acquired by the Glasgow-based publishing firm William Collins and Sons, which in 1989 merged with the American publishers Harper & Row to form HarperCollins.

In 1996 Harvill Press became independent following a management buyout. The firm was bought by Random House in 2002, and was merged with Secker & Warburg in 2005 to become Harvill Secker.[6]